Fresh trouble for BSY: Cabinet decides to reopen BDA graft case

Yediyurappa accused of awarding BDA contract for bribe as CM in 2020

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru

The Karnataka Cabinet on Thursday resolved to reopen a corruption case against former Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa. The case dates back to 2020 when Yediyurappa was the CM. Yediyurappa and his son and current BJP state president Vijayendra are accused of awarding a Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) contract to one Chandrakant Ramalinga for a bribe of Rs 12 crores acquired through aides. The Cabinet demanded Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot reconsider his decision to dismiss a complaint pertaining to the case and grant sanction to probe Yediyurappa.

A complaint was filed in November 2020 by Right To Information (RTI) activist TJ Abraham wherein he accused nine persons and cited a phone call recording as proof. The Governor had turned the request down. Abraham was also one of three complainants who had requested sanction to probe CM Siddaramaiah in the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) illegal site allotment case earlier this year. Gehlot had accepted the demand but Congress had termed Abraham an “extortionist”.

Cabinet gives nod; The decision to reopen the case was taken in a Cabinet meeting held at the Vidhana Soudha on Thursday and was confirmed to mediapersons by the Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs HK Patil. “On November 19, 2020, TJ Abraham files a complaint before the Anti-Corruption Bureau Bengaluru for offences punishable under (sections) seven, eight, nine, 10 and 13 of the Prevention of the Corruption Act, 1988 read with section 383, 384, 415, 418, 420, 34 and 120 B of IPC (Indian Penal Code), under Section three and four of PML (Prevention of Money Laundering) Act, 2002 against Shri BS Yediyurappa, his family members and associates,” Patil said.

“Mr TJ Abraham made the allegations and sought approval to investigate by the honourable Governor but he has rejected the permission. That is the background,” he said. “The Cabinet, after discussing this matter at length, has resolved to recommend the Governor to withdraw the decision he took on 23 and 24-6-2021, re-examine the matter and grant prior approval to investigate under the Prevention of the Corruption Act section 17 a,” he added. Back in August, the Cabinet had demanded the Governor permits probes against National Democratic Alliance leaders HD Kumaraswamy, former ministers Murugesh Nirani, Janardhana Reddy and Shashikala Jolle.